Weld County celebrates the importance of reunification

Published on June 07, 2022

The Weld County Board of Commissioners proclaimed June 2022 as Reunification Month at Monday’s board meeting to recognize the value of helping families stay together in Weld County.

Reunification Month is a time to celebrate families and communities and raise awareness about the importance of family reunification for children in foster care. Because of the important bond between child, parents and family members, reunification with parents and family is the best option and the preferred outcome.

Sometimes parents can encounter problems that require attention and assistance to ensure the safety and caring support of their children and their family. Reunification is the ultimate goal of the Weld County Department of Human Services (DHS). In 2021 61% of child welfare cases in the DHS resulted in reunification, while in 2022, 59% have been successfully reunified.

One family in attendance who successfully reunified with their children spoke of how much DHS staff helped them overcome obstacles they didn’t think were possible and thanked them for their support in getting their family back — “Thank God for the team here.”

Beyond celebrating families who have successfully reunified with their children, reunification month also highlights the efforts of the many support staff and community partners who help families along the way.

“In Weld County, we recognize the vital role our support staff and that community partners play in helping to reunify, strengthen, and support families. These valued partnerships include mental health and substance abuse providers, courts, judges, kinship providers, foster parents and many others,” said Tami Grant, Deputy Director of DHS. “We would like parents to know, especially those going through the recovery process, that it is possible to confront and resolve the issues that led to separation to reunify with their children.”

DHS will be honoring families by highlighting success stories later in the month with a small celebration including community partners, staff and reunified families. For more information about foster care in Weld County, visit https://www.weldgov.com/Government/Departments/Human-Services/Foster-Care.